Letter sent to the Government of Iran by UN Special Rapporteurs requests information about the poisoning of schoolgirls
GHRTV
07-06-2023
Fabiana Alves Castro
Women’s Rights Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
A letter to the Government of Iran has been made public, concerning information received regarding the deliberate poisoning of more than 1200 schoolgirls since November 2022. The letter was conjointly sent by the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; and Working Group on discrimination against women and girls. (UN Special Rapporteurs, 2023)
Since November 2022, after the emergence of protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in September, the poisoning of girls in school in Iran has been reported. (Bland, 2023) The first cases were identified in the city of Qom, and since then it has been reported that hundreds of girls were hospitalized with symptoms including respiratory distress, numbness in limbs, heart palpitations, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. (The Iran Primer, 2023)
In the letter, the UN experts express concern over large-scale poisonings targeting schoolgirls in an apparently coordinated manner, as well as the absence of information as to the investigations conducted and the attempts to arrest and hold perpetrators accountable. (UN Special Rapporteurs, 2023) They stress that:
“The attacks started only a few weeks after women and girls initiated the movement “Women Life, Freedom”, through which they manifested their opposition to compulsory hijab and voiced their demands for equality and respect. Hence, there is a viable possibility that the poisonings may have been carried out by State or non-State actors in reprisal for these legitimate actions”. (UN Special Rapporteurs, 2023, p. 02)
As such, the Experts requested informations from the Government of Iran. These include, but ate not limited to, the following:
“ [...]
- Please provide information on the investigations conducted and their outcome, including on the number of schools attacked, their location and the number of schoolgirls affected by the poisoning attacks and their health status, whether any suspects have been arrested, and the nature of chemicals referred to by the Deputy Minister of Health.
- Please provide information as to the comprehensive measures that the Government intends to take to ensure that the inalienable right of Iranian girls to a safe and secure education environment is going to be upheld and protected.
[...]
- Please provide information on the measures which have been put in place to prevent further poisoning attacks.
- Please provide information about allegations that parents, doctors and parents and others may have been subjected to pressure in order not to disclose information about these attacks. [...]” (UN Special Rapporteurs, 2023, p. 03)
Furthermore, they urged the Government to take all interim measures to halt the alleged violations, prevent their re-occurrence, and ensure the accountability of persons responsible, while awaiting a reply. The Experts additionally reiterated that the allegations would be in contravention of the rights of every individual to life, physical integrity, right to equal recognition before the law, and the right to education, assured in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. (UN Special Rapporteurs, 2023)
Sources and further readings:
Amnesty International. (2023, April 19). Iran: Millions of schoolgirls at risk of poisoning. Retrieved June 6, 2023, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/6696/2023/en/
Bland, A. (2023, March 6). What do we know about suspected poisonings of schoolgirls in Iran?. The Guradian. Retrieved June 7, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/06/what-do-we-know-suspected-poisonings-schoolgirls-iran
Khan, A.J., Radnofsky, C., and Gallion, B. (2023, March 8). What's behind the crisis in Iran over the suspected poisoning of schoolgirls?. NBC News. Retrieved June 6, 2023, from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/iran-suspected-poisoning-schoolgirls-explained-rcna73499
Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences and the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls (“UN Special Rapporteurs”). (2023, March 10). Ref.: AL IRN 3/2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023, from https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=27925
The Iran Primer. (2023, April 4). Mass Poisoning of Schoolgirls in Iran. Retrieved June 7, 2023, from https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2023/mar/08/mass-poisoning-schoolgirls-iran#:~:text=Hundreds%20were%20hospitalized%20with%20symptoms,new%20protests%20against%20the%20government
